The Army, Navy and Air Force
were commissioned in 1947 in anticipation of a potential
hostilities against India. From the time of its inception, the
military played a decisive role in the history of
Pakistan. A sense of national unity and identity was forged out
of the wars of 1947 and 1965 against India. Border
clashes with Afghanistan led to the creation of the Paramilitary
forces to deal with civil unrest as well as secure the border
areas. The Marines were commissioned in 1971, however due to a poor
performance in the 1971 war they were disbanded. In 1990, they were
commissioned again and serve as an independent force but are
subservient to Naval command.

Approximately 650,000 personnel are on active duty in the military which is the world's 7th largest armed force as of
2009.[2]
Combined with the 302,000 strong Paramilitary forces and 528,000 in
reserve, the Military of Pakistan has a total size of over
1,000,000 personnel. The Military draws its manpower from a large
pool of volunteers and as such, conscription is not, and has never
been needed.[3]

Pakistan's military is led by an officer corps that is not
restricted by social class or nobility and are appointed from a
variety of sources such as service academies and direct appointment
from both civilian status and the enlisted ranks. The Pakistan Army
is the best organized group in the country and is highly respected
in civil society and the social ranks as an institution.[4] Since
the founding of Pakistan, the army has been key in holding the
state together, promoting a feeling of nationhood and providing a
bastion of selfless service.[5]

The Pakistani armed forces are the largest contributors to United Nations peacekeeping efforts, with
more than 10,000 personnel deployed in 2007.[6]
Other foreign deployments have consisted of Pakistani military
personnel as advisers in African and Arab countries. The Pakistani military
maintained Division and brigade strength presences in some of the
Arab countries during the past Arab-Israeli
Wars, and the first Gulf
War to help the Coalition, in Somalian & Kosovo
conflicts.

History

The roots of the Pakistan army traces back to the British Indian Army which included several
personnel from present day Pakistan. In picture are troops of the
famous Khyber
Rifles striking a pose. ~1895.

Before 1947, most military officers of newly formed Pakistan
Armed Forces had served in the British colonial army established in
South Asia, as the armed force was known as under the British Raj, fought in
both the World Wars and the numerous Anglo-Afghan Wars. Several
experienced commanders who fought in the British military in World
War II joined the military of Pakistan giving it professionalism,
experience and leadership. After independence, the military was
supposed to have been divided between India and Pakistan with a
ratio of 64% going to India and 36% for Pakistan; however, it is
estimated that India refused to divide its share of equipment and
some analyst suggest that Pakistan inherited a mere 15% of its
allocated share.[7]

Post-independence, it has fought three wars against India,[8] several
border skirmishes with Afghanistan and against the Soviet Union
which occupied Afghanistan in 1979, and an extended border skirmish
with India in 1999 (Kargil War) and is currently conducting
anti-terrorist operations along the border areas of Afghanistan.
The Military of Pakistan has participated in several United Nations
peacekeeping operations.

The Pakistan Military has also taken over the Pakistani
government since its inception mainly on the pretext of lack of
good civilian leadership, whom most Pakistanis regard as corrupt
and inefficient.[9] It has
virtually acted as a third party that has repeatedly seized power
in the name of stabilizing Pakistan and ending corruption. However,
according to the political parties removed from power by the army,
political instability, lawlessness and corruption are direct
consequences of army rule.[10][11]

Current
deployments

The vast majority of Pakistan troops historically have been
deployed along the Indian-Pakistan border to counter a perceived
invasion threat from India. Altogether, it is estimated that 80–90%
of the army is positioned in this manner.[12].
However, 15,000 troops have been shifted to the Swat Valley to
counter the Taliban invasion.[13]
Additionally since the September 11th terrorist attacks, Pakistani
military forces have engaged intermittently in the War on
Terrorism against Taliban and Al Qaeda extremists. Compared to
other militaries, It has suffered the highest number of casualties
in the war. Those troops along with various paramilitary forces are
involved in a protracted fight against extremists in the tribal
areas of Pakistan. After the Mumbai incident, several brigades were
moved back east. The Pakistan military also assists in natural
disasters in Pakistan such as the 2005 Kashmir earthquake and the
floods in Baluchistan in 2008.

Organization and Command
Structure

The Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee deals with all problems
bearing on the military aspects of state security and is charged
with integrating and coordinating the three services. In peacetime,
its principal function is planning; in time of war, its chairman is
the principal staff officer to the president in the supervision and
conduct of the war. The secretariat of the committee serves as the
principal link between the service headquarters and the Ministry of
Defence in addition to coordinating matters between the services.
The three branches within the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee deal
with planning, training, and logistics. Affiliated with the
committee are the offices of the engineer in chief, the director
general of medical service, the director of inter-services
intelligence, and the director of inter-services public
relations.

Advertisements

Joint Chiefs of Staff
Committee

The three Service Chiefs together with the Chairman Joint Chiefs
of Staff Committee form the Joint Chiefs of Staff Committee.

Personnel

Pakistan Navy Ships

Troop
Strength

As of 2008, about 619,000 people were on active duty in the
military, with an additional 528,000 people in reserves. It is an
all volunteer military, but conscription can be enacted at
the request of the President with the approval of
the Pakistani parliament. The military is the
sixth largest in the world and has a large number of troops
deployed around the globe in military assistance and peacekeeping
operations.

Members of the Pakistani military hold a rank, either that
of officer or enlisted, and can be
promoted.

The following table summarizes current Pakistani military troop
levels:

Pakistani Military Troop Levels

Service

Total Active Duty Personnel

Total Reserve

Army

550,000

528,000

Navy

24,000

5,000

Air Force

65,000

10,000

Paramilitary Forces

302,000

0

Coast Guard

Classified

Classified

Total

941,000

543,000

Uniforms

A Pakistani soldier in combat gear during training

The standard uniform for the Pakistan Army was a traditional old
British Army Khaki but this has been recently changed to a
camouflage pattern uniform which is standard for other armies of
the world. The colours of the new camouflage pattern uniform depend
on the geographical areas in which the troops operate so that they
can blend in with the environment & more.

Rank
Structure

The rank structure is also patterned on the British model.
Following the British Indian tradition, there are three junior
commissioned officer (JCO) grades between enlisted and officer rank
for those who rise by promotion from among enlisted recruits. The
junior commissioned officer is a continuation of the former
viceroy's commissioned officer rank during the British colonial
period. Promotion to JCO rank, however, remains a powerful
incentive for enlisted personnel; thus, if JCO ranks are ever
phased out, it will probably be a slow process.

Gallantry
awards

Nishan-i-Haider, Highest military
decoration of Pakistan. Awarded "to those who have performed
acts of greatest heroism or most conspicuous courage in
circumstances of extreme danger and have shown bravery of the
highest order or devotion to the country, in the presence of the
enemy on land, at sea or in the air ... and scarificed their lives
for this cause. this award can not be given to an alive
soldier"[14]

Foreign military
relations

China

The People's Republic of China's relationship with Pakistan has
often been regarded as all weather and time tested. This friendship
for both the Asian countries holds great importance and is
priceless in terms of common interest and geo-strategic alliance
initially to counter the Indian and Soviet Union threat. In recent
years the friendship has deepened even further and China has
several defence treaties with Pakistan.

China has been a steady source of military
equipment and has cooperated with Pakistan in setting up weapons production and
modernization facilities.

The two countries are also actively involved in the joint
venture of several projects to enhance each others' military needs,
including JF-17
Thunder fighter aircraft, K-8 Karakorum advanced training aircraft,
space technology, AWACS, Al Khalid tank, missiles
and many other projects. The two countries also held several
military exercises together to further deepen and enhance
cooperation between the two armed forces. Also China is the largest
investor in the Gwadar Deep Sea Port, which is strategically
located at the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz.

Animosity against India has also led Pakistan and Nepal to form
a close military relationship. Condemned and isolated from India,
Great Britain
and the United
States between 2004 and 2006 for repressing democracy, the
Nepalese monarchy developed military cooperation with China and
Pakistan, who offered extensive military support, arms and military
equipment to Nepal for the monarchy to stay in power and fight the
Maoist insurgency.[18][19].
Both Pakistan and China have provided medium-tech weapons to
Nepal.

With India reluctant and unwilling to supply it weapons that Sri
Lanka was looking for, Colombo turned towards Pakistan by 1999. In May
2000, President Musharraf of Pakistan supplied millions of dollars of
much-needed weapons to the Sri Lankan government, when separatist Tamil
Tiger rebels were about to recapture their former capital of Jaffna.[20] In
May 2008, Lt-Gen Fonseka of the Sri Lanka Army held talks with his Pakistan Army
counter-parts regarding the sale of military equipment, weapons and
ammunition. The sale of 22 Al-Khalid MBTs to the Sri Lanka Army
was finalised during these talks in a deal worth over US$100
million.[21] In
April 2009, Sri Lanka requested $25 million worth of 81 mm,
120 mm and 130 mm mortar ammunition to be delivered
within a month which proved decisive in the defeat of the Tamil
Tigers.[22]

United
States and NATO

Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Navy Adm. Mike Mullen reviews
Pakistani troops during a ceremony honoring Mullen's arrival to
Islamabad, Pakistan, Feb. 9, 2008. Mullen is visiting the country
to discuss security issues with Pakistani military officials. Since
9/11, Pakistan and USA have established close military ties.

Pakistan's has had an on-again and off-again relationship with
the United States. When relations were good, this meant access to
funds, sophisticated weaponry and training. When relations were
bad, it meant bitter disillusionment and the severing of support at
critical junctures. These wide swings of fortune are something to
which the Pakistanis have become accustomed, and they recognize
that, whatever the provocation, the relationship with the United
States has too much potential benefit to be discarded lightly.
After the attacks of September 11, Pakistan received a huge
increase in military aid from America. In the three years before
the attacks of September 11, Pakistan received approximately $9
million in American military aid. In the three years after, the
number increased to $4.2 billion.[23]

France is also actively involved in building and maintaining an
alliance with Pakistan within the defence industry. A key note of
this defence alliance was the joint-venture of Agosta submarines
for the Pakistan
Navy and the Mirage fighter aircraft for the Pakistan Air
Force, being the largest operator of Mirage III and V aircraft
after the French Air Force.

Middle
Eastern Countries

The Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine USS Norfolk (SSN 714)
leads a formation of vessels through the North Arabian Sea April
17, 2008, during Arabian Shark '08, a joint exercise between
Pakistan, Bahrain and the United States focused on antisubmarine
warfare.

The Pakistani military's close ties to the nations of the Middle East are based
on a combination of geography and shared religion. The closest ties
are with Saudi
Arabia--a sporadically generous patron; much of the equipment
bought from the United States during the 1980s, for example, was
paid for by the Saudis. The smaller Persian Gulf states also have been sources
of important financial support.[24] The
flow of benefits has been reciprocated. Beginning in the 1960s,
Pakistanis have been detailed as instructors and trainers in Saudi
Arabia, Jordan, Syria, Libya, Kuwait, and the United Arab Emirates.
Pakistani pilots, sailors, and technicians have played key roles in
some Persian Gulf military forces, and Arabs have been trained both
in their home countries and in military training establishments in
Pakistan. Pakistani army, under the leadership of the dictator,
General Zia-ul-Haq were instrumental in putting
down the Palestinian revolt Black September in Jordan
against King Hussein in the early seventies.

Pakistan enjoyed strong military relations with Iran during the Shah era. Both Pakistan and Iran
were in the American camp opposing the Soviet Union and its allies
which included India. During the 1965 war of Pakistan with India
the Shah provided free fuel to the Pakistani planes who used to
land on Iranian soil, refuel and the take off. After the Iranian revolution, Pakistan was among the
first countries to recognize the new Iranian government and
continued to maintain strong military relations. Iran sent its
Military officers and personnel to be trained in Pakistani
academies when military and diplomatic ties with the USA were
severed following the hostage taking of the US Embassy.
Pakistan also helped give spare parts and other items to the
largely American equipped Iranian Military. The relations began
to deteriorate when the Soviet war in Afghanistan
caused large number of Sunni foreign fighters to arrive in
Pakistan. General Zia ul Haq's extremist views towards the Shias caused
tensions to rise between Sunni and Shia communities in Pakistan much
to the discomfort of Iran. The Arab countries and USA pressured
Pakistan to stop its military aid to Iran due to the Iraq-Iran War in which USA and Sunni Arab
countries were backing Iraq. Iran was blamed for the rising ethnic
tensions between Sunni and Shia because of Pakistan's support of
Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war. Relations continued to decline in
the 1990s when with Pakistan's help the Taliban came to power in Afghanistan. Iran and the Taliban almost
went to war in 1997 over territorial and drug trafficking disputes.
Throughout the 80s and 90s, Iran moved closer to India.

After 9/11
and the overthrow of the Taliban, Pakistan and Iran have begun to
re-build their ties. Delegations have been exchanged, and Pakistan
has sold military equipment to Iran. In early March 2005, Pakistan
acknowledged A. Q. Khan had provided centrifuges to
Iran, though it denied having had any knowledge of the
transactions. Pakistan also has military ties with Turkey and would like to use
these, as well as its Iranian connections, as a bridge to the new
Muslim states of Central Asia.

Special
forces

A member of Pakistan Navy Special Service Group aboard Pakistan
Navy Ship PNS Babur

PAF Special Services Wing carrying FN F2000 rifles while on training at the Fort Lewis, Wash. in USA
on, July 23, 2007.

The Special Service Group (SSG) is an independent commando
division of the Pakistan Army. It is an elite special operations
force similar to the British Special Air Service and the United States Army Special Forces. Official
numbers are put at 2,100 men, in 3 Battalions; however the actual
strength is classified. It is estimated to have been increased to 4
Battalions, with the eventual formation of 2 Brigades of Special
Forces (6 Battalions).

Special Service Group Navy (SSGN) is an independent commando
division of the Pakistan Navy. It is an elite special operations
force similar to the British Army's Special Boat Service and United
States Navy SEALS. Official numbers place the strength between 700
to 1,000, in 1 Company; however the actual strength is
classified.

Special Service Wing (SSW) is an independent commando division
of the Pakistan Air Force. It is an elite
special operations force similar based upon the US Air Force's 1st Special Operations Wing
unit and the US Army's Ranger unit. This the newest
component to the Special Forces of Pakistan. The division has
recently been built up and is fielding between 700 to 1,000 men in
1 Company.

Nuclear
Doctrine

The Pakistan military possesses nuclear weapons and sufficient
means both developed entirely by civilian scientists and engineers
of Pakistan, through a range of missiles and aircraft—to deliver
these over considerably long distances. However, unlike India,
Pakistan does not have no-first-use policy[32] and
maintains the use of nuclear weapons as a deterrent and to
peacefully prevent India and other world countries to offset the
large conventional advantage other countries like USA and India
enjoy over Pakistan.[33]

Pakistan is not a part of the Nuclear Non-proliferation Treaty
(NPT), citing concerns that it unfairly favours the established
nuclear powers, and provides no provision for complete nuclear
disarmament. The Strategic Nuclear Command forms part of Pakistan's
National Command Authority which is responsible for the management
of the country's tactical and strategic nuclear weapons.

Military
Intelligence

Pakistan's Military Intelligence (MI) is one of the three main
intelligence services in Pakistan. MI is tasked with
counter-insurgency operations, identifying and eliminating sleeper
cells, foreign agents and other anti Pakistani elements within
Pakistan. Additional functions involve monitoring high level
military and political leaders and safe guarding critical
facilities such as military and non-military installations.

Military
Justice

The military justice system rests on three similar service laws:
the Pakistan Army Act (1952), the Pakistan Air Force Act (1953),
and the Pakistan Navy Ordinance (1961). The acts are administered
by the individual services under the central supervision of the
Ministry of Defence. The army has a four-tier system; the air force
and navy, three-tier systems. The differences in tier levels
reflect whether their competence extends to officers or enlisted
men only and the severity of the punishment that may be
imposed.

Civilian courts cannot question decisions handed down by the
military court and double jeopardy is prohibited. In cases where a
military person is alleged to have committed a crime against a
civilian, the central government determines whether military or
civilian courts have jurisdiction. Former servicemen in civilian
life who are accused of felonies committed while on active duty are
liable for prosecution under the jurisdiction of military courts.
These courts are empowered to mete out a wide range of punishments
including death. All sentences of imprisonment are served in
military prisons or detention barracks.

Weapons
industry

Pakistan began with virtually no military production capability.
By 1951, Pakistan had created the Pakistan Ordnance Factory at Wah
Cantonment, near Rawalpindi, to produce small arms, ammunition, and
explosives. During the period of reliance on United States supply,
there was little attention given to domestic production, but after
the assistance cutoffs in 1965 and 1971, Pakistan relied on China's
help to expand its facilities, including the modernization of Wah.
The Heavy Industries at Taxila was established in 1971 as an
equipment rebuilding facility, followed in 1973 by the Pakistan
Aeronautical Complex at Kamra, north of Islamabad. The air force
assembled Chinese F-6s and French Mirages; produced the Mushak
trainer, which was based on the Swedish SAABSafari; maintained radar and avionics equipment;
after the success of Mushak the Super Mushak and Karakoram-8
Advance jet state-of-art training platform were made.

The Ministry of Defence Production was created in September 1991
to promote and coordinate the patchwork of military production
facilities that have developed since independence. The ministry
also includes seven other specialized organizations devoted to
research and development, production, and administration.

The navy is supported mainly by a facility at the Karachi
Shipyard, which has limited production capacity. In 1987
development of a submarine repair and rebuild facility at Port
Qasim was begun. By early 2000, in a joint project with China led
to the development of the JF-17 Thunder fighter and the Al-Khalid Tank. Pakistan also has taken
major steps to becoming self sufficient in aircraft overhaul and
modernization and tank and helicopter sales and in a transfer of
technology with France led to the construction of the Agosta 90 B
Submarine in the late 1990s and early 2000s.

After the success of its major developments in the defence
industry the Defence Export Promotion Organization (D.E.P.O.) was created to promote Pakistani
defence equipment to the world by inviting major and small players
to the I.D.E.A.S. Exhibition, which is held annually at
the Karachi expo center. In recent reports, the defence exports
were worth over $200 million USD in 2006 and growing annually.[34]

Future
plans

Army

Pakistan's MBT, Al Khalid Tank

Throughout the International Defence Exhibition & Seminar
(IDEAS) at Karachi in November 2006, Pakistani firms have signed
joint development, production and marketing agreements with defence
firms from South Korea, France and Ukraine. These agreements
include new reactive armor bricks, 155 mm artillery shells,
and other developments in armor and land weaponry. These agreements
all relate to the Pakistan Army's AFFDP-2019 modernization program
of its armor, artillery and infantry.

Air Force

Pakistan's indigenous produced JF-17 Thunder. Pakistan plans to induct
over 300 of these fighters.

The Pakistan Air Force plans to retire
several types of combat aircraft by 2019. Joint production and
further development of the JF-17 Thunder light-weight multi-role
fighter is ongoing and around 150 JF-17 are expected to be inducted
by 2015, replacing all A-5C, F-7P, Mirage III and Mirage 5
fighter-bombers. The F-7PG will be replaced later and the JF-17
fleet may eventually be expanded to 300 aircraft.[35]
Orders have been placed for at least 36 Chengdu J-10 fighters from China,[36]
around 26 upgraded second-hand F-16AM/BM and at least 18 new-built F-16C/D Advanced
Block 52. Two types of Airborne Early Warning & Control
aircraft are to be introduced, 4 Saab 2000Erieye AEW&C from Sweden and the
ZDK-03, a Chinese AEW&C based on the Shaanxi Y-8F-600 cargo aircraft.[37] The
Il-78 aerial
refuelling tanker is to be inducted and will be capable of
refuelling the JF-17 and J-10, 4 are to be acquired second-hand
from Ukrainian surplus stocks. The fleet of Shenyang FT-5 and T-37 Tweet is being replaced by around 75 K-8
Karakorum intermediate (jet) training aircraft.[38]

Navy

Pakistan Navy Frigate PNS Shahjahan

Mclanery (ASW) Class For Pakistan Navy

PNS Babur

In 2005 Pakistan ordered four F-22P light frigates from China in a deal worth
$600mn. The first is expected to be commissioned 2009 and the
remainder by 2013.[39]
One of the frigates has already been completed and formally
delivered to the navy, its formal induction in to the Pakistan Navy
however, would take place at a later date. One of the F-22Ps will
be built in the Karachi Shipyard. The F-22P is an improved version
of the Type 053H3 Jiangwei II class light frigate, it has a
displacement of at least 2500 tons.[40] The
first F-22P will be called PNS Zulfiqar, and thus become the
Zulfiqar Class.[39]

Plans to procure 4 used frigates were dropped in favour of 4
new-built corvettes. According to Turkish press the Pakistan Navy
is reportedly interested in procuring the Milgem class corvettes from
Turkey. The frigate USS McInerney (FFG-8) with
considerable anti-submarine warfare capability will be handed over
in August 2010.[41]

According to Jane's IDEAS2004 interview with former Pakistan
Navy Chief ex-Admiral Kariumullah another four or so new frigates
will be acquired. Kanwa Defence Review recently reported that the
Pakistan Navy has shown recent interest in the Chinese Type 054
frigate.[42]

In mid-2006 the Pakistan Navy announced its requirement of three
new SSK attack submarines to replace the two Agosta-70 submarines
and rebuild its fleet – after retiring the 4 Daphne class. French
naval firm DCN offered its latest export design – the Marlin SSK –
which is based on the Scorpene SSK, but also uses technology from
the Barracuda nuclear attack submarine. The German firm HDW offered
the U-214 SSK. Credible reports confirm that the Pakistan Navy has
opted for the Gernman U-214's which will be built in Pakistan and
includes transfer of technology. According to Walter Frietag the
contract has been finalised 95 percent.[43][44]

Pakistan is also seeking to enhance its strategic strike
capability by developing naval variants of the Babur cruise
missile. The Babur cruise missile has a range of 700 km and is
capable of using both conventional and nuclear warheads.[45]
Future developments of Babur include capability of being launched
from submarines, surface combatants as well as range extension from
500 km to 1000 km. The Airborne version of Babur, 'RAAD'
has already been successfully tested.